1. Shifting Skins
2. The Sediments of Pain
3. Falling Over the Edge of Reason Part 1
4. Wandering
5. Falling Over the Edge of Reason Part 2
6. Sangre de Perro
7. Disciples of Wisdom, Prophets of Truth
8. At Home In My Grave
9. Among The Stars
10. Hemorrhage
11. End of Days

In 2015 the band Everthrone released easily one of the best albums that year (The Dawning, which in fact topped my Top 5 of the year without much competition.) They decided to crowd fund the follow-up and without much fanfare and to-do about it, they’ve released their s/t third album. There is some speculation in the Everthrone camp that the band might be folding at some point, with band members starting families and whatnot, and since the music business isn’t paying them much attention I guess they feel perhaps it isn’t very lucrative financially to keep pushing on. This is some of the saddest news I’ve heard from a band that is the best in the area, a band far better than most of the ones you hear on the radio. If you don’t know them, that’s a crying shame. The amount of talent these five men possess makes them more than a “local band,” but one of the best bands you’ll likely never hear of, lost in the shuffle, but most deserving of a big label push (hell at least a mid-level label.) I’ve preached the greatness of this magnificent band since discovering them back in 2014 and will continue to do so as long as they’re making music and I have breath (and fingers) to do it.

I thought The Dawning was going to be an impossible album to follow up, but it seems like they’ve surpassed it. Majestic guitar and keyboard work, powerfully stirring vocals, brilliant rhythm structures, and songs that don’t just draw you in, but whisk you away on a fantastic voyage. A Progressive Metal band that doesn’t feel compelled to follow their contemporaries, but create music on their own terms- wavering between a heavy driving chug to an ethereal and melodic soar, tracks like “Falling Over the Edge of Reason Part 1,” “The Sediments of Pain,” “At Home In My Grave,” and “End of Days” rival anything else going on in the genre; Progressive without being so over the top, melodic but not afraid to growl, Everthrone creates a palette of sound bands that have been around longer with deeper catalogs only wish they were capable of doing.

If this is the last time I get to speak about them, then I intend to make the most of it. I love this band, I love their music, and I love the guys behind this incredible music. I hope that they will continue doing it, but if they feel like it is no longer worth it, I can’t fault them for that, especially when it comes to raising a family. Music will forever be in their blood, but family should come first. I just hope they aren’t calling it a day because the music business is a thankless bitch. As long as they just keep doing it locally, when time allows, that would make me happy as hell, but I guess that might not even be able to happen. Only they know. Everthrone, the new album, is a phenomenal feat and a magnificent display of brilliant songwriting and performances. I don’t know if there will be a greater release of this album (hey label people, if you’re reading this, check them out,) but if not I’m glad I got a copy of it. If you get the chance to check this out, I hope you feel as strongly about it as I do.

The guitar leads keep dominating the structure of songs like “Voyager” a crisp sound fills through my speakers along with Small wails makes this song one of the best on the album. Another prime cut comes via the cover tune of “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men, yes I know odd but it works reflectively well and shows Small’s versatility.

But maybe you noticed the main point of this album – this is a perfect fusion of Stratovarius and Angra, although with Tolkki being (probably) responsible for most of the songwriting, the Finnish band’s elements are prevailing.